Obtaining Approval for Hotel Rates Above State Allowance Rates

Question

How can a traveler get approval go above the lodging rates set by the State of South Dakota after all reasonable effort has been made to find a hotel within the allowable rates? 

Answer

Note: The current daily room rate is $110.00 per person plus tax within South Dakota and $175.00 plus tax outside of South Dakota. An additional $100.00 allowance is allowed outside of South Dakota if approved on the Out of State Travel Request (OSTR). 

These requests must be done prior to booking a hotel and traveling.

1. Gather 3 quotes, including the taxes and fees, from similar hotels in the travel destination
   Note: No third-party quotes (hotels.com, Expedia, etc.) will be accepted 
2. Email mandy.whelchel@usd.edu, no less than seven days prior to booking, with the quotes and the following information 
   1. Approved travel request, if applicable
   2. Employee's name
   3. Dates of stay
   4. Destination
   5. Reason for stay (conference/training name, meetings, etc.)
3.  Mandy will present the quotes and information to the State Auditor's office for approval
4. The State Auditor's office will email back their decision to Mandy and she will communicate it back to the requester 
   1. If approved,
      • book the hotel. The approval email must be attached to the travel reimbursement after the trip has occurred
   2. If disapproved,
      • the lodging overages must be paid by the department using either an agency fund, institutional representation fund or directly through the USD Foundation